Chapter 5 - THE SHADOW IN THE SANCTUARYFor two days, the Gallagher estate transformed into an impenetrable fortress.
Ronan didn't leave her side. The syndicate’s business was handled entirely through Brendan, while Ronan stayed in the master wing, personally ensuring Tessa ate her meals and rested.
The dynamic between them had violently shattered. She was no longer the invisible woman who wiped down mahogany tables; she was the woman who occupied his every thought.
Yet, the silence between them was charged with unsaid words.
On Thursday evening, Ronan entered the room carrying a tray of tea. He found her standing by the window, staring at the small pot of lavender she had brought up from her old quarters.
"You should be resting," Ronan said softly, setting the tray down.
"I don't know how to be still when I'm not working, Mr. Gallagher," she said softly, defaulting to her old habit.
"Ronan," he corrected instantly, stepping closer until he stood right behind her. "My name is Ronan. You don't call me Mr. Gallagher anymore."
Tessa froze, her breath hitching as she felt the warmth of his body behind her. "It isn't proper. I was your employee—"
"You saved my life," he interrupted, his hands coming up to gently rest on her shoulders. She flinched slightly at first, but then slowly relaxed into his grip. "You took a bullet's worth of stress for four years, holding this house together while I treated you like a shadow. Do you know what broke me, Tessa?"
She stayed silent, listening.
"The night you left... I came home and the light was out. I spent four years thinking I was untouchable, thinking I ruled this city. But when that hallway went dark, I realized I was just a blind man living in an empty castle."
Tessa turned around slowly to face him. Her face was inches from his chest. "I didn't want you to feel indebted to me, Ronan. I did it because... because I couldn't bear the thought of another good man dying because of my family's war."
"Is that the only reason?" Ronan asked, his eyes searching hers with a raw intensity that made her core tremble.
Tessa opened her mouth to speak, but before the words could form, the mansion’s heavy emergency alarm began to blare throughout the corridors. Red strobe lights flashed against the walls.
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The iron doors of the master bedroom burst open. Brendan stood there, covered in blood, his hand gripping a heavily bleeding abdomen.
"Boss..." Brendan gasped, collapsing against the doorframe. "It’s... it’s not Vance... Vance was just a puppet... The real enemy... they're inside the house."
